...Blogers note : more details..policy will be reveal early 2023
see Transcript
...
long-anticipated indo-pacific strategy
foreign affairs minister Melanie Jolie
was unequivocal today the strategy will
address China
is an increasingly disruptive Global
power
it seeks to shape the global environment
into one that is more permissive for
interests and values that increasingly
depart from ours what I would like to
say to Canadians doing business in and
wit China
you need to be clear-eyed
Minister Jolie says the full strategy
will be released within a month and here
to dig into her remarks today is gizen
Jacques you know him of course he's a
former Canadian ambassador to China so
Mr sanjacques I I know you've been
waiting for this uh the government's
policy with regards to China it's coming
into focus with the with this speech
today I mean what's your assessment of
what you heard from Minister Jolie
well I'm very pleased uh with uh the
speech that Mrs Julie delivered today I
think it contains all the the main
elements of a comprehensive strategy it
deals with National Security and defense
it deals with human rights with
political issues with trade with climate
change and development so I think all
the elements are there and it's a major
turning point in our relationship with
China of course I expect that China will
react very negatively but in fact the
you know we have no choice and I'm glad
that finally Ottawa has recognized that
we are dealing with a very authoritarian
regime one that is running a very
aggressive foreign policy does not abide
by its International commitments and act
as a bully when it has the chance she
seemed to me to very clearly describe
China as a threat and not someone not
someone can be a friend and an ally but
too big and too important to completely
disregard and completely ignore
especially on big issues such as climate
change where all the countries kind of
need to work together but given all of
that your assessments you think Beijing
will react negatively what do you think
we might hear from the Chinese regime
well for sure you will see this is
another demonstration that Canada is the
lab dog of the United States but there
uh I think when the minister Charlie
says that we could work on global issues
like climate change or health issues you
know we should remind the Chinese that
we have been there to help them we help
create the ministry of environment to uh
the the seed of development assistance
that was very successful so there is a
good basis there we have had lots of
exchanges people to people and and I
think we can build on that but of course
uh you know the they may not be
receptive at the outset
but they have to understand that it
takes two to tango she had a warning in
Her speech today for Canadians and
Canadian companies doing business with
China that there are geopolitical risks
linked to doing that sort of thing and
that seems significant coming from
Minister Jolie what's your assessment of
that warning
well I think so and I will make a link
to what Minister Freeland said in
Washington a few weeks ago about French
roaring and in fact it was repeated by
Minister champagne I think that probably
Minnesota did not want to talk about
decoupling in this because it implies
lots of uh
uh of measures that need to be taken but
the message for Canadian business is
quite clear that there are increasing
risk in doing business with China so you
better look at your supply chain and try
to diversify uh and and of course it
will remain an important Market but it's
one that has is is becoming a lot more
risky there was one other point you
talked about there on the business front
unequivocal in the speech today that
Canada is intends to deepen its economic
ties with Taiwan
um you know it's not something China
will respond to too positively how do
you expect them to react to that
well I think of course the the concert
or Taiwan as one of their red lines and
the uh we have to expect a strong
reaction but at the same time we have to
remind them that uh this is consistent
with uh our policy towards China we have
had the economic exchanges and
Commercial exchanges with Taiwan for a
long time and I think for the government
if we are serious about promoting
democracy and human rights we have to
show support for Taiwan and a good way
would be to finalize the foreign
investment protection agreement uh
support taiwan's candidacy to join the
cptpp and maybe launch exploratory talks
to look at the possibility of entering
into formal negotiation on the Free
Trade Agreement right so the rhetoric
today was more forceful the language was
more forceful but you know speech is
just a speech and rhetoric is just
rhetoric right I mean what do you what
what do you need to see from the
government before this plan really takes
some solid form and is put into practice
well the the minister has promised that
we'll have more details uh within a
month I think that we we need to see
more resources and in fact our partners
in the indo-pacific region will be
expecting the same uh What uh how much
more resources are we ready to devote uh
in did the minister talk about an
increased military presence more
attention devoted to Arctic sovereignty
I think the government should announce
there and I hope it they will do that we
are going to invest a lot more in terms
of acquiring uh naval ships and uh
aircraft and uh in fact we are not
starting from uh from zero the the you
know Sita has been very active in Asia
we had a very successful development
assistance program it's a matter now on
building on this but I think that will
be the proof of the pudding
much do we see in terms of new resources
okay when we get the final plan we'll
probably have you back thank you very
much former Canadian ambassador to China
thank you sir
hi I'm vashi capello's host of power and
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